Ben Riley-Smith of The Daily Telegraph assesses the latest developments at Westminster.After the government announced savings of £5bn a year from the benefits bill, Ben speaks to Labour MP Clive Lewis, who raised concerns about the plans in the Commons, and David Blunkett, formerly a Cabinet minister under Tony Blair and now a Labour peer.Also this week Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch ditched her party's commitment to make Britain a 'net zero' carbon emitter by 2050, a policy first introduced by Theresa May's government in 2019. Conservative MP and former Cabinet minister, David Davis, and former Conservative adviser, Salma Shah, debate the merits of the plan.Crossbench peer, Minette Batters, who is the former President of the National Farmers Union, joins Ben from her farm in Wiltshire to discuss whether Labour can mend its relationship with farmers.And, following the visit of the new Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to Britain, Ben speaks to the former UK High Commissioner to Canada, Susan le Jeune d'Allegeershecque, and Labour MP Matt Western, who chairs the All Party Parliamentary Group on Canada.
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28:08
15/03/2025
Sonia Sodha of The Observer assesses the latest developments at Westminster.This week the Prime Minister kickstarted a mission to remake the state which he describes as "overstretched" and "flabby". He started by announcing he would abolish the arms-length body, NHS England. But there was ongoing disquiet in the Labour party about possible cuts to welfare spending which could be coming down the track. Sonia discusses all of this with former Conservative minister, Lord Willetts, who now chairs the Resolution Foundation, and Claire Ainsley, former director of policy for Keir Starmer.After a week of intense diplomatic manoeuvring, could a ceasefire in Ukraine be on the horizon? Sonia brings together Bronwen Maddox, director of the foreign policy think tank Chatham House, and Johnny Mercer, former Conservative MP and Minister for Veterans, who has just returned from a trip to Ukraine.Splits within Reform UK deepened this week following the party’s suspension of one of its five MPs, Rupert Lowe, after allegations of bullying and threatening violence.
Professor Jane Green of Oxford University analyses whether the ongoing row will halt Reform's surge in support.And, MPs who like to use TikTok are regularly flouting parliamentary rules on filming videos for social media. So do the rules need to change? Former Deputy Speaker, Nigel Evans, and Daily Mail political sketchwriter, Quentin Letts, discuss whether it's really a good idea.
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28:06
08/03/2025
Caroline Wheeler from The Sunday Times assesses the latest developments at Westminster.To discuss the announcement this week, by the US government, that there would be a pause in all military aid to Ukraine and a pause in intelligence sharing, Caroline is joined by former Cabinet Secretary and National Security Adviser, Lord Sedwill and Air Chief Marshal, Lord Peach, the former head of the UK Armed Forces who was also chair of NATO's military committee from 2018 to 2021. Lord Peach has just stepped down as U.K. special envoy to the Balkans. The Chancellor will deliver her Spring Statement later this month at at time of limited financial headroom. To discuss the impact of possible cuts to the welfare bill
Caroline is joined by the former Conservative Party leader and architect of the Universal Credit system, Sir Iain Duncan Smith and former Labour MP Rosie Duffield who now sits as an Independent Member of Parliament. Labour's Baroness Hayter and Lord Howard, the former Conservative Party leader, join Caroline to discuss the Hereditary Peers Bill which is currently in the House of Lords. The landmark legislation will remove the right of the remaining 92 hereditary peers to sit and vote in the House of Lords.US President Donald Trump has been invited to the UK for a second state visit by the King. To discuss state visits and the so-called 'soft power' of the Monarchy, Caroline is joined by Edward, now Lord Young, of Old Windsor, who was Private Secretary and key adviser to The late Queen. He was with Her Majesty for 20 years until her death in 2022 and oversaw the smooth transition to the start of The King’s reign.
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28:08
01/03/2025
George Parker of the Financial Times assesses the latest developments at WestminsterTo assess the impact of two completely contrasting Oval Office meetings between President Trump and Sir Keir Starmer and then the US president and President Zelensky this week, George is joined by Peter Ricketts, crossbench peer and Britain's first National Security Adviser. And Labour’s Baroness Cathy Ashton, who was the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, leading its response to Russia’s annexation of Crimea back in 2014. To discuss Sir Keir Starmer's plans to increase defence spending to 2.5% of national income by cutting the foreign aid budget, George spoke to the Labour MP for Hartlepool, Jonathan Brash and the Greens’ Ellie Chowns, who represents North Herefordshire, and spent her career before Parliament working in overseas development.David Gauke, who was Justice Secretary in Theresa May’s government and is now leading a review into prisons for Keir Starmer, has been in Texas this week to look at what the UK can learn from prisons there. Rishi Sunak's former chief whip, Simon Hart has just published his diaries spanning his fifteen years in the Commons - in which he saw five prime ministers, four general elections, and plenty of scandals. He discusses this era with The Spectator's Isabel Hardman.
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